April 08 Photo Challenge - "Favorite Album" - sponsored by Quik Pod

[dleblanc]

Question about the photoshop, how far can someone take their picture in photoshop beyond simple touch up, and still be part of the contest. It seems to take it past a "photo contest" and into the realm of "manupulation skills challenge". National Geographic rejects pictures it believe to be chopped and edited in such programs for their contests. I bring this up because it seems a bit unfair to me as someone without such a program, and is trying put more effort into a good picture.

It seems unfair that some have 3mp P&S cameras while others have D3's with five lenses. Life's unfair.

 

[Dioboleque]

It seems unfair that some have 3mp P&S cameras while others have D3's with five lenses. Life's unfair.

Not exactly the same thing... he's not saying he has an older version or photoshop or a crappy version... I think the real question is would TL use photoshop if he had it or does he believe that what comes out of a camera is photographic art and what comes out of photoshop is digital art?

I never photoshop my submissions for 2 main reasons:
1) I prefer people to see what I can do with my camera rather than my computer
2) I don't have photoshop or the slightest idea how to use it! (hehe)

 

[dleblanc]

Not exactly the same thing... he's not saying he has an older version or photoshop or a crappy version... I think the real question is would TL use photoshop if he had it or does he believe that what comes out of a camera is photographic art and what comes out of photoshop is digital art?

I never photoshop my submissions for 2 main reasons:
1) I prefer people to see what I can do with my camera rather than my computer
2) I don't have photoshop or the slightest idea how to use it! (hehe)

Sort of the same thing. If one is trying to take a picture in low light, they can't do it without bumping up their ISO to 800 or 1600. The picture could very well be noisy. Unless you have a camera like the D3, then noise won't be a factor until you hit higher ISO's like 25,600. Now Photoshop can help fix that.

Or how about not having a lens that allows you to control the depth of field the way you like. I know when I used my P&S, I couldn't get a narrow depth of field unless I was inches away from my subject. You could always bring that picture into Photoshop and create a narrow depth of field. (Or you can just go spend thousands on lenses.)

If you really want to be fair, have everyone go out and buy the same camera with the same lens.

Some people have Photoshop. Some don't.
Some have nice cameras. Some don't.

 

[SBlanca]

to be honest if your camera couldn't do all the stuff you wanted it to do then you shouldn't have tried to do it, know your camera's limits, the only time i use a program like photoshop is to either add a vignette, to crop and resize and sometimes to bump up contrast....anything beyond that, apart form the fact that i don't know how to do, i dont do it, it seems to me like cheating...if i were a pro at photoshop i wouldn't need to buy any more equipment or think of the subject im shooting...its silly in my opinion

for this months entry im hardly using photoshop (for a vignette maybe) might not get any votes but its the effort put into taking a good photo that counts.

 

[Tennessee Landscape]

If you really want to be fair, have everyone go out and buy the same camera with the same lens.

Some people have Photoshop. Some don't.
Some have nice cameras. Some don't.

Okay, first of all....It's a PHOTO contest. You can still take an excellent composition with a P&S despite the limits of your P&S. The issue I have with photoshop is the limits posed by the best of cameras or the most skilled photographer are absolutely dwarfed by the capabilities of photoshop. If this is truly a photo contest, major photoshopped images, ( and I mean images, cuz it's not a photo any more ) should be disqualified. ( Majorly photoshopped = anything beyond basic touchup ) If folks want to have an "image" contest than this is a new discussion.

 

[Sirashley]

I have to be honest on this issue, I am torn. I do feel that Photoshop does somewhat diminish the value of the artistic integrity and talent of using the camera as a tool. Having said that, I feel that with a photo challenge such as the one that is this month, there lies room for the creativity of photoshop. I look at it like this, if the topic were landscapes, I'd agree that photoshop should not be allowed and that it should be up to the photographer's talents. I think however that with a challenge such as this month, Photoshop really opens of the door for creativity and to be truthful, I'm anxious to see what everyone will come up with... Just my two cents...

 

[391615]

Hmm I have to go through the albums. April 31 you say!!! typo?

 

[Miaow]

Have a couple of ideas for this but have no idea on how to pull them off LOL

 

[DarknGorgeous]

I feel the same way Miaow, but I think I may have found one Finally! Good luck with yours.

 

[Miaow]

I feel the same way Miaow, but I think I may have found one Finally! Good luck with yours.

Good luck with yours also

I think i may have finally found THE idea now - but yes still trying to think on exactly how to do it

 

[Miaow]

YAY finally got something I think's pretty original and reflects the album title well

 

[jasonkt]

Just because you photoshop a picture to add extra creativity, it doesn't mean that you are "cheating". Indeed, is it cheating when it is so hard that so many of you don't know how to do it? I think that poorly photoshopped pictures are obviously going to get fewer, if any, votes.

I also think that just because you are using photoshop, it doesn't mean you get to ignore the limitations of your camera and lighting. If you don't pay attention to the basics, the end result will suffer.

It's a shame, too. I had a nicely photoshopped picture that I was about to submit, but I might enter one without the edits instead since so many of you seem biased against them...(I am glad I waited until the end of the month, though)

 

[Miaow]

IMO, I don't think excessive photoshopping should be allowed in a photo comp - It really should be a test of skill/creativity of the photographer rather than how well they can edit a pic.

Of course sometimes colour and contrast often need to be fixed up in a pic which isn't a problem but, for example, adding images and effects that can't be done with a camera really shouldn't be permitted.

 

[SBlanca]

i submitted my entry yesterday, and to be honest i wouldn't want someone who took a half arsed photo but spent 6 hours on photoshop to win after i spent a long time looking for stuff for my photo and buying stuff and even on the day of shooting put my mums cooking at risk of burning as i switched off the kitchen lights and left everyone in the dark haha

 

[TamiyaGuy]

Very, VERY interesting idea for a theme! It would be interesting to see the photos. I've got an idea for a shot, although it's from a kind of unknown band...